Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Chapter 355 Blinding Light

Snow winced as she tried to shift to a more comfortable position. The damnable Haeddan elf threw her into a dungeon without a care in the world. Not only that, to prevent her from being able to escape, he stomped on her leg, shattering her ankle.

Pain shot through her leg every time she moved, but there was little to nothing she could do. The ground was hard stone with a smattering of straw to try and absorb some of the dampness. Rot and mildew filled her nostrils. Several pieces of straw found their way to less than comfortable places...

"If it weren't for that stupid elf, I could have probably killed that fucking lord and been away with whatever stupid piece of jewelry Lord Kane wanted..."@@@@

Screams echoed from the floor above, followed by several bursts of mana. Snow grimaced once she realized Lucius was fighting the Master-Ranker. Several minutes ago, similar bursts of power spread through the manor's walls. They pulled the Haeddan elf's attention from her and he left the dungeon with such haste he seemed to blur out of existence. She knew that Lucius was strong, but harbored doubts about his ability to make it through this.

Something inside her demanded she stand. It demanded she go to his side. Give her life for his. Slay the enemy. Die for her lord. However, it was simply white noise. Useless to her given the circumstances. If the voice inside her wanted her to die for her lord, the only thing she could do to satisfy it at the moment was try and slit her own throat with a sharpened stone.

Hurried steps approached her cell. By the sounds of the armor, it was not one of the manor's guards. Whoever it was wore something heavier than them. She also did not hear the clattering of a sword in its sheath.

"There you are!"

Snow's heartbeat quickened as a familiar voice reached her. It was smooth and gentle, with a hint of relief. A man with striking blue eyes and light purple hair stood on the other side of the cell door. The relief in his eyes vanished quickly, replaced by worry and concern. Even from the other side of the cell, he could see the swollen and bruised ankle.

"What happened!" Desmond shouted! His drew his spear and with a single, clean swipe cut through the lock on the door. The metal squealed in protest from its neglected hinges being forced to move again.

The man rushed over, leaning his spear against the wall and examining Snow's ankle much more closely. He was careful to avoid touching it directly, but moved some of the clothing out of the way to get a better look at the damage. Snow couldn't help but gasp in pain, but remained as still as possible.

"Last time I checked, you couldn't use healing magic. Go. Lucius needs help, I will be fine." Snow urged.

"Not a chance. I already hate myself for delaying enough as it is. Besides Lucius can handle himself long enough. Right now, you need my help."

Desmond stood and grabbed his spear. The spearhead began to heat up from the enchantment. Once it reached a certain temperature, he swung it several times at the cell bars. Several pieces of metal clattered to the ground.

Readying his spear, he rushed through the door, holding his arm in front of him to burst through the glass and wood. He was greeted by the sight of an elf holding Lucius in the air by the collar of his armor. Lucius screamed in pain, shadows formed and dissipated rapidly as if trying to fend off the light emanating from a gem burning its way through his armor.

Desmond quickly charged his spear, launching the spearhead at the elf. He spun the other end of the weapon around and launched it immediately after.

The elf quickly dodged the incoming spearhead, allowing it to fly uselessly past his head. He released his grip on Lucius, just in time for Desmond's spear to cut through his wrist. The elf warrior cried out in pain, his hand falling to the ground.

"You!" He roared. "Human!"

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Desmond prepared for the worst. Sure, he took the hand from a Master-Ranker, but the man could likely kill him with both hands missing, let alone one. Despite the urge to close his eyes to wait for the inevitable, Desmond willed himself to witness his own death.

Time slowed to a crawl as the elf's outstretched hand closed in on Desmond's face. A thunder rumbled in the skies above and a flash of lightning blinded him. Where the Master-Ranker used to be, stood a familiar woman wielding a spear with a sickly green spearhead.

"Lady Tenia..."

"I have seen enough." The woman proclaimed. Her voice was even and flat. Barely contained rage clearly being held at bay, though just barely.

"You! Why does an Empyrean meddle in the affairs of Aedrider you should stay atop your..."

"You used the power of your king, Haedda's Empyrean. Power which you used in my lands. This is a breach of the Contract. I am within my rights."

"Lies! You wish to protect your..."

"Vanish."

Lady Tenia waved her hand. A bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, enveloping the Haeddan Elf in blinding light. Desmond watched as the light faded, all signs of the elf's existence wiped from the world. Save the greed blade he had strapped to his side.